Home Business - Home Based Business - Work From Home - MLM - Work At Home - Nine Things to Know Before Selecting a Web Host for<br>Your Business

Here are some tips to help you make the right decision.

1. Understand the Different Types of Hosting

It is crucial to understand the difference between the types of hosting available. As the hosting industry has matured, hosting offers have split into a couple of distinct categories, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

~ Shared hosting, sometimes called virtual hosting, means you are sharing one server with a number of other clients of that company. The host manages the server almost completely, though you maintain your site and your account. The host can afford to charge you little since many clients are paying for use of the server. However, companies other than yours are using the resources of that server. That means heavy traffic to one of the other sites on the server can really hammer the performance of your site.

~ Collocated hosting means that you purchase a server from a hardware vendor, like Dell or HP, and you supply this server to the host. The host will then plug your server into its network and its redundant power systems. The host is responsible for making sure its network is available, and you are responsible for all support and maintenance of your server. Good hosts will offer management contracts to their collocation clients so you can outsource much of the support to them.

~ Unmanaged dedicated hosting is very similar to collocation, except that you lease a server from a host. The level of support varies widely. Ask the host to go into specifics about what support they provide, for instance, will they apply security patches to your server? This service is typically good for gaming servers (like Doom or Counterstrike servers) or hobbyist servers, but not for serious businesses that need responsive, expert-level service.

~ Managed dedicated hosting means leasing a server from a host and having that company provide a robust level of support and maintenance on the server. Maintenance typically includes server uptime monitoring, a hardware warranty, security patch updates, and more. Make sure your managed dedicated host is specific about the managed services included so that you can be sure they are not disguising an unmanaged dedicated offering as a managed dedicated server.

2. Does the Host's Network Have Blackholed IPs?
Many hosts care little about who is actually hosting on their networks, so long as the clients pay their bill. That means many hosts will allow porn sites, SPAMMERS, and servers that create security issues on their network for the sake of the dollar.

Even if you place ethical issues aside, this has a negative impact on customers, for example, when a network gets blackholed for spamming. Getting blackholed means that other networks will refuse e-mail originated from IPs that are blacklisted. Some hosts have a number of entire class C (up to 256 IPs) networks blackholed and redistribute these tainted IPs to new clients.

If your business relies on legitimate closed loop opt-in e-mail marketing to drive sales, being on such a network can severely cut response to your campaign because your e-mail may never get to its destination. Check with any hosts you are considering if their networks are blackholed. Here is a link to a third party source that lists blackholed networks: http://www.spamhaus.org/sbl/isp.lasso

3. Don't Confuse Size with Stability
Just because a web hosting company is big, does not mean it is stable and secure. In fact, many of the biggest filed for bankruptcy protection or were saved by being sold to some other company, in some cases causing uncomfortable transitions in service for their clients. How do you protect yourself? Ask some key questions:

~ How long has the host been in business?

~ Is current ownership the same as always?

~ Are they profitable and cash flow positive from operation-generated revenue?

4. Don't Make Price Your Only Priority
The old saying "you get what you pay for" applies to most things in life, and hosting is certainly one of those things. When you over-prioritize price, you run the risk of ending up with a host that will provide you with a connection to the Internet and little else in terms of support (and even that connection may be running at maximum capacity or have uptime issues).

5. Does the Host Have Fully Redundant Data Centers?
When dealing with smaller vendors, make sure that they have their own data centers and that those data centers are fully redundant in terms of power and connectivity. Here are a few questions to ask:

~ How many lines do they have coming into the facility?

~ What is the average utilization of their connections?
(No matter how large the connection, if it is running at maximum capacity it will be slow.)

~ Do they have redundant power to the servers?

~ Do they have a generator on-site?

~ How often do they test their generator?

~ What sort of security measures do they have in place for the network?

~ What physical security do they have?

~ What type of fire suppression systems do they have in place?

6. Does the Host Have an Experienced Support Staff?
When you call in for technical support, it can be a frustrating experience to be stuck talking with a non-technical "customer service" representative when you really need to talk to a systems administrator who can resolve your issues. Find out the structure of their support department, how quickly you can get to an actual systems administrator when you need to, and which systems administrators can help you when you need help.

7. Make Sure the Host is Flexible
It is important that the host understands how important quality servers are to their clients’ businesses. Even most managed dedicated hosts will not go near supporting applications that are not part of their initial server setup. Find a host that has a vast amount of experience to support a wide variety of applications, and one that can bring that expertise to you through their services.

8. What do Former/Current Clients Say about the Host?
Can your prospective host provide you with success stories for clients with similar configurations to yours? Are they able to provide references from clients who can tell you about their experience using that company?

9. Does the Host’s Support Include Extra Charges?
Make sure any host you consider provides you with a comprehensive list outlining the support they offer so that you understand what is supported for free, what is supported at a fee, and what is not supported at all. Many hosts will try to hide a sub-standard level of free support behind non-specific statements of high quality support, so make them get specific to win your business. HBM

Chris Kivlehan is the Marketing Manager for INetU Managed Hosting. INetU is an award-winning Allentown, Pennsylvania-based hosting provider that specializes in managed dedicated hosting for businesses nationwide in the online retailing, web development, e-learning, financial services, and online marketing industries, as well as for governments, non-profits, and civic institutions.610-266-7441 www.inetu.net

Previously published in the June 2007 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com

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